judge not - but we must!

​"Judge Not..." – But We Must!

7:1“Judge not, that you be not judged.2For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?5Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye (Matt. 7:1-5).

Taking verse 1 out of context, we would not be allowed to judge anyone at any time. Reading the rest of the selection, we could rationalize this ban on judging others by admitting that no one is perfect. The argument would then continue that since we are sinners ourselves, we are not in a position to judge others. Therefore, we could never declare any action as wrong! The command to “Judge not…” creates a great irony. If we see someone judging another, we would have to judge to condemn the action of judging!

Clearly, Jesus is not talking about never judging. We must look to the context for His intention. The Sermon on the Mount is largely about the character of the individual. He shows us throughout His talk, and His later parables and His example, the goal is to be at peace with God and mankind. We can expect here that Jesus will show us how we are to judge rather than to prohibit judgment altogether. In verse 2, Jesus notes that with whatever measure, or standard, we use to judge, then we will be judged by that standard. How can we use that standard if we do not obey it ourselves? This is hypocrisy, and we see the attack on judging is not so much on the act itself as on the character of those who condemn. We saw earlier in the Sermon in Chapter 6 how Jesus condemned the Pharisees as hypocrites because of their manner of almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. Now we can add to this list the act of judging while personally violating the same standard.

In verse 3, Jesus gives us a different perspective on the same matter. When we see a fault in another, we recognize the fault because we have it. My late wife Linda used to say, “If you spot it, you got it!” And when we see the fault in another at a distance, it appears small. As we bring that image closer to us, it is normal for that object to appear larger when it is closer. The car a mile away looks like a toy, but it is a very large item up close. Likewise, Jesus compares the sin of another to a twig, while the sin in oneself appears as a plank. Perspective is important, and so is clear vision. Only if we see truth can we act rightly upon it, and the plank in our eye distorts what we see. Before condemning another, we must first examine ourselves. Paul reminds us in 1 Cor. 11:27-32 that we should examine ourselves, and that when we do continually and thoroughly examine and correct ourselves,”…we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”

There are many times when we are called to judge. Indeed, in verse 6 Jesus tells us, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine.” We must judge who are the dogs and the swine to obey this command. Later in Matthew, Jesus gives us a very clear example of how to judge a sinning brother, even to the point of treating him like a heathen or tax collector:15“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’17And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector (Matt. 18:15-17).Titus 1:15 says, “To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure….” When we have examined ourselves and addressed our own faults, not only do we see more clearly and truthfully, but we see with greater love and compassion. Only at this point are we able to empathize. Having been through the process, we are able to help another person move past their misunderstanding onto a more correct path.

Jesus states His case clearly when He says in verse 5, “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” This verse is a great summary. To help another to develop character, you must understand the process through personal experience. We will have temptations leading us away from God, and trials that give us an opportunity for a closer relationship with God. As we find peace in the center of these storms, we will be able to be peace and to help guide others through the difficult waters of life.Next article